Columnist Erin Neff: Political underdog goes for Yucca gold

Erin Neff

Friday, April 12, 2002 | 4:33 a.m.

PSSSST. A congressional candidate believes there's a little secret that Nevada's political leaders don't really want you to know about Yucca Mountain -- there's gold in them thar hills.

That's because a little knowledge about benefits could go a long way to derailing the anti-Yucca Mountain express -- a locomotive bursting with the state's "official message" about the Energy Department's dirty little secrets.

Independent congressional candidate Pete O'Neil is a maverick engineer who, unlike most Nevada politicians, isn't afraid to switch tracks from the state's fight against Yucca Mountain to his idea that great benefits (read: money) lie ahead for the state if it starts to deal.

"Now is not the time to pontificate on the issue and stall it until you're no longer in office and there's nothing we can do about it," O'Neil said. "We need to negotiate while we still can."

With that, O'Neil becomes the first person actually running for office to campaign on that notion. Granted, he's an underdog, and he's only raised $3,500 against the huge warchests the Democrats and Republicans are mounting for Nevada's new congressional seat.

But O'Neil isn't trying to gain notariety by being contrary: He truly believes this is the right thing to do.

To the state's political establishment, it is political heresy to accept Yucca Mountain in exchange for benefits similar to the way Alaskans receive checks for oil fields and pipelines.

"The way our political leaders have set this up, we're going to get screwed," O'Neil said. "We will have no input on the program's implementation and no resources to make sure it's safe."

The O'Neil Las Vegas Valley Protection Act is sitting on Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons' desk and has already been condemned by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

The governor's staff has called, asking him to stay away. Other leaders have told him he's committing political suicide.

Here's his plan:

Since O'Neil isn't getting anywhere with Nevada's pols, he's shopping his proposed legislation to congressmen in New York, Florida, California and Texas.

"I call up some of these congressional offices and ask if there's a way to stop Yucca Mountain and they say, 'Peter, what are you drinking?' "

O'Neil's opponents in the 3rd Congressional District also think he's punch drunk.

"If you reduce this argument to the common denominator of buying a car, and you go in and start negotiating, you're sending a message that you're going to buy," said Jon Porter, a Republican state senator. "We don't want to buy a waste dump."

Democrat Dario Herrera, chairman of the Clark County Commission, not only thinks the state should not negotiate. He thinks Nevada should spend money to fight the dump.

"I strongly believe that the health and economic security of Nevadans is not for sale at any price," Herrera said. "I also strongly believe that this is the time when Nevadans should be speaking with one voice in opposition to this ill-suited, incredibly dangerous project."

O'Neil said he doesn't care what his opponents or the rest of the political establishment thinks.

"I don't need polls," O'Neil said. "I've been out door-knocking for seven months and the people I talk to want their leaders to start negotiating."

Last week Gov. Kenny Guinn vetoed President Bush's recommendation that Yucca Mountain store 77,000 tons of the nation's nuclear waste by saying this issue is "not a bargaining chip."

"I think he's completely wrong," O'Neil said. "The right decision is a tough decision."